Rock-drill.



c. E. YOUMANS.

ROCK DRILL.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. E. YOUMANS.

ROCK DRILL.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 19, 1907- I 1,092,886., 7 PatentedApr. 14, 1914,

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21 29 29 a M L 1f" Wm 01, wi lmmw ygL d 3 gmz j W 7 v I GHQ Lump CHARLES ERNEST YOUMANS, 0F YONKERS, NEW YORK.

IROCKQDRILL.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1%, 1914:.

Application filed April 19, 1907. Serial No. 369,152.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ERNEST YOU- MANS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of W estchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rock Drills', of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rock drills and has for its object to operate such drills through the medium of an explosive engine, to which end I combine with the drill stock, motors in the form of cylinders and pistons and make use of the explosion of a gaseous charge not only to drive the drill into the.

rock, securing a much more forcible and percussive action than can be had with steam at ordinary pressure, but also make use of the explosion of a gaseous charge, preferably more limited in volume than that which drives the drill downward, tolift the drill, this latter action being particularly serviceable in connection with a rock drill,

as it insures the instant detachment of the drill from the rock and a more effectual withdrawing therefrom than can result by the use of steam or air.

Further, I combine with the drill, cylinders of different working areas, the larger cylinder or that of greatest power providing for the reception of a greater volume of mixture for driving the drill against the rock, while the smaller cylinder or that of less eifective area and power serves to receive the charge requisite to withdraw the drill, thereby avoiding the use of so large a I quantity of mixture in one-half of the operations, and reducing the cost not only of operation but of construction.

I further provide certain features of construction and for igniting the charge fully set forth hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 1s a sectional elevation of my improved rock drill and Fig- 2 an exterior elevation partly in section at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 1.

The motor consists of a gas engine comprising a pluralityofcylinders in line with each other, and although I show two cylinders W, X, it will be understood that their number may be increased, but in any case the piston rod Y extends through all of the cylinders and has a two pistons V, V,

piston for each cylinder, being shown, and pref-' erably one of the said pistons is integral with the piston rod, either by casting or forging, so as to avoid any chance of the piston becoming loose upon the rod, and the latter extends through the head of the lower cylinder and is provided with a holder or clutch Spat the lower end for tion of the drill or cutting tool.

Preferably one of the cylinders (as shown, the lower cylinder) is smaller in diameter than the other, the reduced cylinder receiving the charge which is exploded for the purpose-of raising the drill out of the hole, and as shown, the lower end of this smaller cylinder is contracted at a point below the lowest position which the piston takes, and into this contracted portion extend from the piston rod radially inclined blades 4 which, as they are in the contracted portion of the cylinder, are acted on by the exploding gases, so that a powerful twisting effect results causing a partial rotation of the piston rod and of the drill connected therewith, the rotary shifting of the drill be ing thus effected, which not only changes its position, butaids in freeing it from'the hole. Further by thus contracting the exploding space a greater compression of the charge is secured so that smaller charges may be used for lifting the tool. These blades or wings 4 are so set that the gaseous mixture flowing inward from the transfer port 5 tends to be thrown or deflected by the said blades in a manner to prevent it from passing directly to the exhaust port 6. The inlet port 8 of the upper cylinder is. at the bottom thereof so that as the piston rises, the charge of mixed gases from the carburetor or mixer A passes into the lower or compression part of the cylinder WV, andthe transfer port 9, at the center of the said cylinder is so arranged that'it will be closed immediately upon the piston V beginning its ascent, so that the charge drawn into the bottom of the cylinder W is confined therein and on the descent of the piston V this charge is compressed until the upper portion of the piston uncovers the port 9, when the compressed gases will pass into the explosion chamber 'y above the piston V.

Upon the piston V rising the charge is again compressed in the chamber y and is exploded by means of the sparker or other exploding device F as the piston V reaches the limit of its upper movement. On the the recepdescent of the piston the exhaust port 7 is uncovered, said port being wider than, that is, extending above the port'9 and so an ranged that the exploded gases may have an opportunity to escape from the port 7 before the new charge begins to enter through the port 9, so that the new charge can enter and displace the'exploded charge without any of the fresh gases escaping through the exhaust port.

The action is the same in the lower cylinder X, the first charge being admitted from the carbureter A and both carbureters being supplied with oil from a tank T, when a liquid fuel is used, or with gas when the latter is used. As shown, the cylinders have water jackets to which the water is supplied from a pump P, but if desired air cooled cylinders may be used, the piston on the pump being connected to a cross-head L, which slides upon the guide M and through which the piston rod extends, but in which it may be turned in order to permit the turning of the drill or tool, the cross head being carried out with the piston rod between the collars K, K, secured to the piston rod above and below the cross-head.

The pistons are provided with suitable bearings and preferably each cylinder is cast with its head 10 integral therewith, thereby avoiding the necessity of the joints and packing required when securing a separate head to the cylinder, and the open ends of the cylinders abut against the intermediate block N constituting a head common to both cylinders, which has projections fitting the ends of the cylinders and a flange 12 through which pass the bolts which connect the cylinders together. To prevent leakage around the piston rod, the opening in this block or partition N, for the reception of the piston rod is provided with a suitable bushing 18, of any suitable metal. While any suitable sparking or igniting apparatus may be employed, I show an arrangement whereby jump spark electric igniters F are used, in suitable connection with a battery and coil or other source of energy E, and with contacts carried by the cross-head L, and other contacts co-acting with those upon the cross-head carried by the frame of the apparatus. Preferably the contacts 16 carried by the frame are connected with parts G which are capable of a limited movement so as to move with the contacts carried by the cross-head, thereby maintaining the contact of these parts for a certain interval of time. As. shown, each part G is pivoted to the part N of the frame and is capableof a movement limited by the set screw H, the part G being weighted or means otherwise provided to hold it nornrally in proper position. The contacts 17 carried by the cross-head L may be separate, but preferably are shown upon the plunger J having a collar resting upon a spring 18 and when the piston rod rises the upper contact 17 meetstheluppe r contact 16 carried by the frame, and on the descent of the piston rod thelower contact 17.'meets the lower contact 16 supportedby the frame, and the parts are so arranged that if either of the contacts 16, 17, are brought together the support of the contact 16 will yield to a slight extent;

In order to regulate the speed of the drill, the ends of the supports G, G, of the contacts may be adjusted vertically, one means of doing this consisting'in'turning the set screws 11 so. asto shift the inner ends of the supports G, which vibrate 011 their pivots 20.

In order to secure the full force of the blow and permit the drill to properly enter the rock before exploding the charge to withdraw the same, the contacts 17 of the cross head are on a. vertically movable plug J held upward by a spring 15 and the lower contact 17, does not bear upon the lower contact 16, when the point of'the drill rests upon the face of the rock, but is some distance therefrom, so that when the drill is next brought against the rock it'may enter the same to a limited extent, while the lower contact 17 'is broughtagainst the lower contact 16, as the result of momentum when the, piston rod ceases its movement, which momentum carries forward the plug J supporting the contacts 17 until the lower contact 17 meets the lower contact 16, the spring 18 yielding to permit the plug to move downward, and thereafter restoring the plug to position, separating the contacts.

In that class of gas engines in which the piston rods are connected with a crank shaft, the preliminary movements necessary to draw in the proper mixture and compress the same preliminary to exploding the charge may be readily efiected by rotating the shaft by hand. In a rocky drill operated by a gas engine this is not practicable and I therefore provide means whereby to reciprocate the piston and drill supporting rod by hand to an, extent 'suflicient to draw in and compress the proper charge. One means of carrying out this reciprocation is shown, wherein the cross-head L has arms 21 to which are connected flexible strips in the form of straps'or ropes 22, passing over guide *pulleys 23 supported outside the lower cylinder, and provided at their outer ends with hand grasps or handles 24 by means of which one or more persons, by pulling on the straps, can raise the piston and drill rod, drawing in the charge'and compressing the same to an extent sufi'icient to secure the starting of the engine;- It will be evident that it is desirable in such a construction to automatically disconnect the ends. of the straps 22 from thecross-head as soon as the engine begins to operate, and this may be done through any suitable automatic means. As shown, each strap has at the lower .end an opening through which passes a bolt 25 that extends through ears 26 and is carried by a spring 30 toward a vertical retaining bar 28, which is normally held in an elevatedposition by a spring 29, and has an inlet port 9 whereby the entering gases are deflected so as not to flow to the exhaust port 7.

WVith the parts constructed as above described the operation, after setting up the drill ready to work, is as follows: The piston is manually raised, and in doing so, a charge (charge #1) is drawn into the lower or compression chamber of the upper cylinder, through the mixing valve of the carbureter A. This charge remains in this compression chamber, as the piston head of this cylinder closes the port leading to the upper half or firing chamber, as soon as it is slightly raised. (See position of piston head of lower cylinder.) After the completion of this manual upstroke, a manual down-stroke is made by pressure applied to the cross-head L, causing another charge (charge #2) to be drawn into the compression chamber of the lower cylinder. This down stroke also compresses charge #1 in the compression chamber of the upper cylinder, for the mixing valve prevents its escape at A, and the passage leading from A to the upper or firing chamber of the top cylinder is closed by the piston head. The downward stroke continues to compress this charge #1, until the passage leading from A to the firing chamber is opened by the piston headof the top cylinder, which it does just at the end of the down stroke, at which time the charge #1 projects itself into the firing or upper chamber of the upper cylinder. The top of the piston head being formed as shown, causes this charge #1 to be deflected toward the firing plug of the cylinder. Charge #1 is now in the upper or firing chamber of the top cylinder, and charge #2 is in the compression chamber of the lower cylinder. The next or second manual upstroke draws charge #3 into the compression chamber of the top cylinder; compresses charge #2 which is in the compression chamber of the lower cylinder, and projects it into the firing chamber of this cylinder; and compresses charge #1 in the firing chamber of the upper cylinder. At the end of this second manual upstroke, charge #1 to strike the rock with great power. It also eflects the compression of charge #2 which is now in the firing chamber of the lower cylinder, and compresses charge #3 in the compression chamber of the upper cylinder. This second down stroke is the first working stroke, ,and at the end of it the spent gases pass out at 7 just before charge #3 is projected into the firing chamber of the upper cylinder, and charge #2 is compressed and exploded in the firing chamber of the lower cylinder. Thus it will be seen that the drill Will continue to repeat this operation indefinitely, after it has once been set in motion.

By this arrangement an explosion occurs in While I have referred to the intermediate partition between the two cylinders, it will be evident that an equivalent construction.

would be embodied in one where two cylinders have adjoining separated heads through which the piston rod extends.

By arranging the parts so that the exploslon chambers are at the outer end of each cylinder with the largest cyllnder uppermost I avoid the necessity of a packing around the piston rod in the larger or working cylinder where there is the greatest pressure.

It will be understood that the apparatus as shown is mounted upon a suitable tripod and provided with means for feedlng it toward the rock as the latter is drilled. Further that while I have for convenience referred to upper and lower cylinders, these are simply relative terms, as drilling up ward the parts will be inverted] It will be further understood that while I have shown a battery diagrammatically all suitable appliances will be used to insure a proper spark, and the battery may be a cell battery or storage battery.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, I claim:

1. In a rock drill, the combination with two cylinders of different diameters arranged axially in line, ofpistons insaid cylinders, a piston rod common to both pistons and adapted to receive a tool at its end, the smaller cylinder and piston being at the tool end, the combustion end of the smaller cylinder being nearest the tool, and the combustion end of the larger cylinder being removed from the tool, and means for admitting combustible charges to said cylinders and for igniting said charges to cause the charge in the larger cylinder to drive the tool forward and to cause the charge in the smaller cylinder to-retract thetool.

2. In a rock drill, the combination of cylinders of different diameters in line with inder and provided at its free end with means for supporting a tool, means for supplying explosive charges to the different cylinders, and means for exploding the charges at the outer ends of the cylinders, as set forth.

3. In a rock drill, the combination with the cylinders, pistons and piston rod and a tool holder on said rod, of means for manually reciprocating said rod to charge the cylinders, said means consisting of a cross-head secured to the rod, handles 24, flexible connections between said handles and crosshead, guides upon the lower cylinder for said connections, and devices adapted to be operated upon contact with the lower cylinder for releasing said connections from the cross-head.

4. The combination in a rock drill, of two cylinders and pistons axially in line, .one PIS- ton having a greater working area than the to the opposite ends of the cylinders and exploding them therein, the larger voluihe being carried to the cylinder of the larger piston, the parts arranged to effect the outward or cutting movement of the rod and tool by the explosive charge of greatest volume.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

CHARLES ERNEST YOUMANS. Witnesses:

ALFRED O. BEGHET, J. CARLTON PAULMIER. 

